Illness knocks Claudia Gadelha from tonight’s Invicta FC 7 strawweight title fight

Something must be in the MMA air lately. Invicta Fighting Championships is the latest promotion to suffer a title-fight loss within hours of the card.

Claudia Gadelha (11-0) was scheduled to meet champion Carla Esparza (9-2) for the strawweight title in the co-main event of tonight’s Invicta FC 7 card. But illness has knocked Gadelha from the event. Promotion officials made the announcement on Saturday.

The bout was one of three scheduled title fights on the show, so the card now goes on with two championship bouts. In the main event, flyweight champ Barb Honchak defends her title against Leslie Smith. A fight between Lauren Murphy and Miriam Nakamoto for the promotion’s inaugural bantamweight belt now moves up into the co-main event slot.

Invicta FC 7 takes place tonight at Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. The card, which now features eight fights, airs on online pay-per-view, or through select cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

“Claudia ran a high fever late Friday evening and went to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in her intestines,” Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp stated. “We know Claudia wanted this title opportunity more than anything, and all of us at Invicta wish her a speedy recovery. Tonight’s pay-per-view will go on as planned with two world championship fights and a stacked undercard.”

Gadelha, from Brazil, won her Invicta debut in June with a third-round TKO of Ayaka Hamasaki at Invicta FC 6. That kept her unbeaten in her pro career, which has included eight stoppage wins in her 11 fights. It also wound up earning her a title shot that now is put on hold.

With the removal, tonight’s Invicta FC 7 card now includes:

• Barb Honchak vs. Leslie Smith – for flyweight title
• Lauren Murphy vs. Miriam Nakamoto – for inaugural bantamweight title
• Felice Herrig vs. Tecia Torres
• Joanne Calderwood vs. Katja Kankaanpaa
• Julia Budd vs. Charmaine Tweet
• Zoila Frausto Gurgel vs. Vanessa Porto
• Sarah D’Alelio vs. Tonya Evinger
• Nina Ansaroff vs. Munah Holland

For the latest on Invicta FC 7, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Claudia Gadelha)